Best pastel de nata Porto and its cafés

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The custard tart is a Lisbon original, but Porto bakes and sells plenty of them, and a tart with a coffee is an easy morning pause. Finding the best pastel de nata Porto offers, and a good cup to go with it, is mostly a question of knowing which bakeries and coffee places diners single out. The names below are the ones mentioned most for tarts, for coffee and for cake, with their opening hours, since many close in the afternoon or on Sundays. The Majestic Café, the city's famous historic café, has its own paragraph.

Tarts and coffee: where to go

For the best pasteis de nata Porto diners talk about, Vegana by Tentúgal on Rua de Santo Ildefonso leads by far, with 86 mentions and a rating of 4.8 from 883 reviews. The House of Coffee on Rua Formosa, 4.9 from 1,009, and Cafetaria Mesa 325 on the Avenida de Camilo, 4.7, follow. Confeitaria Império, a pastry shop 290 m from the centre, is mentioned both for its tarts and its pastries; it opens from 7:30 AM and closes on Sundays.

The best coffee in Porto Portugal visitors mention sits in a small cluster of specialty places around the Bolhão. Negra Café on Rua de Sá da Bandeira, rated 4.5 from 3,269 reviews, is the place diners mention coffee most, open from 8 AM to 7:30 PM, Sundays included. My Coffee Porto on Rua de Fernandes Tomás, 4.7, is in the 5 to 10 euro band and opens at 8 AM, Sundays included. Canvas on the Avenida de Rodrigues de Freitas, rated 4.9, is the name mentioned most for cappuccino.

For cake with the coffee, Nicolau Porto on the Largo de Alberto Pimentel, 4.2 from 4,567, and Hora Mansa, a cake bistro rated 4.9, are the places diners mention most.

For a croissant, Mila on Rua do Bonjardim, 4.4, and Metro da Trindade on the Praça da Trindade lead.

The historic café and the Sunday question

Among the best cafes in Porto for its setting is the Majestic Café on Rua de Santa Catarina. It opened on 17 December 1921 under the name Elite, went through a long decline, was classified in 1983, and reopened in 1994 after a restoration in its Belle Époque style. It is a place to visit for the room as much as for the coffee.

The mistake is to plan a café morning for Sunday without checking. Confeitaria Império, Cafetaria Mesa 325 and Metro da Trindade were listed as closed on Sundays, while Negra Café, My Coffee Porto, Canvas, the House of Coffee and Padrão Doce stayed open.

Many coffee places also close early. The House of Coffee, Canvas and My Coffee Porto close at about 5 PM, and Tomás Coffee Brunch, rated 4.9 from 1,019 reviews, serves only from 9 AM to 2 PM.

There is no single best cafe in Porto: for a tart, go early to the bakeries; for specialty coffee, the streets around the Bolhão; for a historic room, the Majestic.

The Majestic opened in 1921 under the name Elite.

Common questions

Where can I get the best pastel de nata in Porto?

Diners mention tarts most at Vegana by Tentúgal on Rua de Santo Ildefonso, followed by the House of Coffee and Cafetaria Mesa 325.

Is the pastel de nata from Porto?

No, it is a Lisbon original, eaten across Portugal.

When did the Majestic Café open?

On 17 December 1921, on Rua de Santa Catarina. It was restored and reopened in 1994.

Which cafés in Porto are open on Sundays?

Negra Café, My Coffee Porto, Canvas, the House of Coffee and Padrão Doce were open on Sundays when last checked; Confeitaria Império and Cafetaria Mesa 325 close.